Chandra studies of star forming regions

Abstract

When observed with sufficiently high spatial resolution and sensitivity, star formation regions are unusually complex X-ray sources. Low-mass protostars and T Tauri stars, Herbig Ae/Be stars, OB and Wolf-Rayet stars are seen at levels $28 \leq \log L_x \leq 34$ erg/s. High-amplitude variability from magnetic reconnection flares are often present. From past star formation episodes, supernova remnants and X-ray binary systems may dominate the emission on large scales. Astrophysically, ionization of molecular material from yount stellar X-rays which may have important consequences for circumstellar disk evolution, bipolar flow ejection and star formation. We report here early results from Chandra X-ray Observatory studies of a wide range of star forming regions using the ACIS camera. They include portions of the nearby Ophiuchus and Perseus clouds, the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) and elsewhere in the Orion giant molecular clouds, molecular clouds and star clusters around the Galactic Center, the 30 Doradus region of the LMC, and the prototype starburst galaxy M 82.